Happy Birthday, Tony
by CoffeeSlut
Summary: Alternate Universe (AU): What if Tony spent his "last" birthday exactly the way he really wanted to? Takes place during events of Iron Man 2. This story will probably be 4-5 chapters in length. Chapter 3 IS M RATED, please note. The rest will be K-T rated.
1. Just You

**With Exactly Who I Want To Spend it With… **

_AU: What if Tony spent his "last" birthday exactly the way he really wanted to?_

_This story will probably be 4-5 chapters in length, it takes place during the events of Iron Man 2. Its rated T to kind of keep it in the middle because while chapters 1 and 2 are tame, chapter 3 will be M rated, and chapter 4 (maybe 5 if there is one) will be rated T. _

_This my first multi-chapter pepperony fic. Please read and review, it really helps to get your comments- honest! _

**Chapter 1: Just You**

By now Pepper was used to planning Tony's birthday party to perfectly suit his eccentric style. In the first few years of her employment it took a lot of planning to find the right DJ and bartender, make the right guest list (with the perfect mix of professional contacts and people just tacky enough to allow Tony to at least enjoy it a little), hire a cleaning crew, agree to every one of his random requests, the list goes on.

But by now she knows exactly what Tony wants and he's willing to pay so much money that pretty much everyone she needs has the date automatically reserved every year. All it takes is a simple phone call from her to make everything final. Still, even though she had that task down to a science she was happy that it was the last time she was ever going to have to arrange everything-now that she had been promoted to CEO. Nonetheless this year the planning was pretty simple, and the stress was even less considering he was partying a lot less these days.

But nothing could be that simple.

Tony decides he wants to cancel the entire thing and he decides this at the very last minute, of course. _That _part is not out of the ordinary, but he's been acting so strange lately that she's concerned. He shows up at her office begging her to call the whole thing off. She's already calculating the amount of time its going to take to cancel the damn thing, when he even offers to call everyone himself.

A moment of panic strikes her; she thinks maybe he's going to ask her to plan something else crazy, entirely at the last minute. She has to remind herself that she's not his PA anymore and someone else can do it- but she knows no one else would be able to pull it off as quickly as she would considering the amount of practice she has had.

But that's not the case. He's sitting across from her desk, with a sad look in his eyes and he actually sounds a little desperate to make sure the party doesn't happen. She's really starting to get worried about this whole thing- what has gotten into him?

"Tony, you want to call off your birthday party? We've already invited everyone, the party is in 5 hours! Did you plan something else? Did you want me to plan something else? What is going on? Is it an Iron Man thing?" Pepper was beginning to babble.

Tony knew she was going to be annoyed so he let her finish before he spoke up "it's nothing-Pep. I just, I don't want to spend my birthday with a bunch on strangers who don't even care about me. Some people who think it's fun to just go to Tony Stark's house and party with Iron Man. I know I can still be a bit of a pain the ass sometimes, but that really isn't my scene anymore."

"Well- I mean, we can cancel everything but what are you proposing to do instead? Do you have to go out on a mission or something? You're acting really weird Tony." She tried to be at least a little sympathetic in her reply.

His shoulders were deflated, he looked exhausted and that sad look lingered in his eyes. She flashed back to their conversation in the plane from Monaco- where he had told her he didn't want to go home. That he needed to recharge his batteries. Was everything about being Iron Man finally catching up to him or was there something else seriously wrong? Her concern was starting to escalate again.

He wasn't being direct with her. One of the reasons Pepper was so loyal to Tony was because he was direct, he told her the truth and he trusted her. She was privy to every aspect of his life, good and bad, and he trusted her completely with all of it. But he was keeping something from her now, this birthday party thing was just another sign. She had been so busy acclimating to the CEO position that she had neglected something happening with Tony, as a friend. As weird as their friendship was and as aggravating as he could be- she still considered him one of her friends.

She didn't realize that she had been sitting in silence; she was lost in her own thoughts and worry. He broke the silence when he finally admitted that he just wanted to spend his birthday with her instead. He told her that he missed having her around every day and he just wanted to spend some time with her like they used to but with no work involved. She was surprised, but he looked sincere when he asked.

If she was being honest with herself she missed seeing him every day too. He was a pain in the ass on a regular basis but he made her laugh, and he kept her on her toes. She knew he needed someone to take care of him, with an emphasis on the _care _part. That was the part she always delivered that no one else did. That was the part he needed the most, someone to really care about him. Not Tony Stark the billionaire, genius, philanthropist whatever- just him. She realized that was what he was asking for now.

She consented on two conditions, the first was that he wasn't going to change his mind halfway through the night because he got bored and decide to ditch her or throw a last minute shindig and the second was that he actually tell her what was wrong and what was going on with him. So he agreed to both, a little reluctant on the second part.


	2. Happy Birthday, Tony

_AU: What if Tony spent his "last" birthday exactly the way he really wanted to?_

_This story will probably be 4-5 chapters in length, it takes place during the events of Iron Man 2. Its rated T to kind of keep it in the middle because while chapters 1 and 2 are tame, chapter 3 will be M rated, and chapter 4 (maybe 5 if there is one) will be rated T. _

_This my first multi-chapter pepperony fic. Please read and review, it really helps to get your comments- honest! _

**Chapter 2: Happy Birthday Tony**

She arrived at his place three hours later in casual attire. She was clad in jeans and a t-shirt and she came bearing his favorite pizza and beer. It was a little strange to be showing up at the mansion with no other pretense than just spending some time together. In more than ten years of knowing him she was always there because of work in some way or another- yes they would take breaks or have side conversations but she was always his PA first and foremost, whether or not they shared a special bond and ability to banter.

Tony had wanted this for so long. He had been craving some simple, alone time with her since he had started being iron man, ever since that night on the roof. It was like he had a jolt back to life at the near kiss they shared. Everyone thought he had a new lease on life because of the whole captivity thing- and that did change him of course- but really the result was all about a shift in his priorities. And that wasn't limited to iron man and doing the right thing, it most certainly included her and wanting something more from his life than the shallow encounters he enjoyed before. If he couldn't have her as his partner he would be happy to have her as his friend if it meant she would come around more often again.

They sat on the couch and binge watched episodes of LOST while they drank their beers and ate pizza and Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Pepper had to fight every instinct to prevent herself from cuddling into his side as they watched the screen. Tony had to fight every instinct to prevent himself from resting his hand on her thigh as she sat curled up beside him, too far away for his liking but close enough to feel her gentle breathing. They were both craving each other's contact but holding themselves back.

It was the best possible way to spend his birthday, not alone and not with a room full of strangers who didn't matter to him. It may be his last birthday but it certainly was his best. For once he was proud of himself for making the right decision to cancel his party and ask for what he really wanted. They didn't talk about Stark Industries or signing papers or schedules and agendas. They just talked like new friends. Pepper even surprised him with a chocolate birthday cake, his favorite, which he proceeded to eat right out of the box with a fork.

They were having a really good time. But whatever Tony wasn't telling her was hanging over the evening. Finally Pepper took it into her own hands to bring up the elephant in the room.

Giving into the urge to touch him she took his hand gently in hers, looked him square in the eye and said "Tony, you promised me you were going to tell me what was going on with you. I'm worried about you. I know I'm not here every day anymore and I know there's something you are keeping from me. Please tell me. You can tell me anything."

He wasn't sure how to proceed. He wanted to tell her that he had fallen in love with her. He wanted to tell her that he was serious, that he wanted to prove it to her. He wanted to tell her that iron man and wasn't the only thing that he had a change of heart about. He wanted so say that they could be so much more; they could still see each other every day, just under different circumstances now - like tonight.

But instead he was going to have to tell her that he was dying. It was like he finally knew what was important and what he wanted, but it was too late. He couldn't really have what he would be asking for because he was going to lose it all anyway.

So he took the direct route. She deserved to know the truth.


	3. The Confession (RATED M)

_AU: What if Tony spent his "last" birthday exactly the way he really wanted to?_

_This my first multi-chapter pepperony fic. Please read and review, it really helps to get your comments- honest! _

**NOTE: _This chapter is rated M*_**

**Chapter 3: The Confession **

"Pepper, I'm dying," he confessed under shaky breath.

He explained everything in detail. This was worse than anything she could have imagined him telling her. She knew he could die every single day he put on the suit- but to know he was actually in the process of dying was even worse. There was a death sentence he was living out every second he sat calmly on the couch beside her. And there was nothing either of them could do about it. It was just this inevitable darkness that they knew waited for him. She was devastated. This thing that had saved him, that had changed him for the better, was actually killing him. She felt angry at the world for the irony of it. The arc had given him a new life and now it was taking it back from him.

She didn't know what to say, on the verge of hopelessness she finally spoke up "Tony, I always take care of you, I would do anything to take care of you now-but I can't take care of…this. I don't know how to fix this."

And then she started to cry. She felt guilty that he was busy consoling her when he was the one who was facing death but she couldn't help it, she couldn't be the professional, proper one in this moment. He was holding her tightly in his arms, letting her cry as he consoled her; he stroked her back and kissed the top of her head while he wondered how many times he had made her cry before without knowing it.

He was hurting her with this confession. But it was strangely cathartic to him to know that someone cared about him enough to be this upset.

After a few minutes she finally calmed down a little bit, enough to pull away from him and wipe her nose on her sleeve. Then she asked Tony if she could see it. Tony wasn't expecting this request, she said needed to see this thing that was killing him, she needed to see what it was doing to him.

He swallowed hard. No one had seen it. He felt grotesque and didn't want her to remember him that way. He was usually pretty confident in his appearance, but not now. He could see in her eyes that she was desperate to reconcile in her head what was happening to him, and he couldn't seem to deny her now that she was bearing the weight of this truth with him.

She reached over and grasped the bottom of his shirt, she hesitated and looked at him for reassurance. He lifted his arms over his head in consent and she slowly pulled his shirt up his torso, over his head and off. She made no reaction to what she saw, she didn't want to upset him, but tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she examined him and took in the angry puzzle-like veins that rambled across his chest.

She still had hope that his death sentence could be reversed, but the simple existence of it now seemed to remove all barriers for her. It was like there were no consequences, no concerns because they actually didn't know what tomorrow would bring. And all she wanted to do was be close to him, to seek comfort in him and give it in return, to express the love and affection she had for him but was afraid to show.

She reached out and gently traced the marks with the pads of her fingers before looking back to his eyes. The sadness from earlier in the day had returned to his eyes- mixed with a little something else. He may be a dying man, be he was still a man. And a gorgeous woman who he loved and longed for was gently touching his chest and the skin-to-skin contact overwhelmed him.

He didn't know what this was, he didn't want to react and frighten her away but he was having a hard time sitting still. It was then that she bent over and began to place gentle kisses around his chest, it was sweet and it felt so loving and intimate but he had a hard time letting her examine the marks up close. She felt him tense under her lips.

"Tony is this okay?"

He nodded just a little and she continued cautiously. She poured as much love and affection as she could into each soft kiss, hoping to ease his pain.

When she was done she sat up and angled his chin to look her in the eyes. She looked at him long and hard, trying to read his expression before she leaned to kiss him-but before their lips could make contact he pulled away to look at her again.

He cupped her jaw and spoke "Pepper, I want this. I really do. I want this more than I have ever wanted anything, but please, please tell me this isn't about pity or consoling me. I don't want it like that."

"Tony it's not that. I care about you too much to do that to you. I promise. I just want to be close to you right now, is that a good enough reason?"

He leaned forward and closed the distance between them. His lips landed on hers and he coaxed them open as he scooted her into his lap, one leg on each side of his hip. After weeks of sadness and anger, fear and pain, it was like she was breathing air into his lungs and giving him just a little more life to cling to.

They stayed together like that for a long time, just kissing and lightly caressing whatever skin they could find. They were finally giving in to the closeness they had been denying themselves. Intense arousal was building slowly, but they were soon becoming desperate for more contact. She ground her sex down onto him, feeling his hardness as he pulled her shirt up and over her head. He wasted no time undoing her bra and tossing it behind the couch. He latched on to her neck and slowly kissed down to her breast and she gasped as he sucked her. His free hand was anchored to her butt, encouraging the rhythm of her grinding in his lap.

After a few minutes she pulled away from him and began kissing down his chest again, softly kissing every mark that she swore was killing her as much as it was him in that moment. When she reached his pants she unfastened them as he lifted his hips to assist her, she stroked him firmly and he watched her with rapt attention, barely breathing. She stood and shimmied her jeans and panties down her legs before he reached out his hand to her. She took it in hers as he pulled her back to him and laid her down and on the couch. It was his turn to kiss and nip at her skin and he was grateful for every healthy freckle he encountered.

He lowered his head and tasted her, he steadied her hips and she undulated against his hungry mouth while panting his name as he lapped at her wetness. Tony was incredibly hard, he ground into the couch cushions to seek some relief as he was tasting her but he didn't want to touch himself or this was all going go be over way too fast. Lucky for him it had been a long time since she had sex and it wasn't going to take much to make her reach orgasm. When his fingers joined the mix and carefully thrust into her in perfect concert with his tongue on her clit, she lost it. She quaked into his mouth and griped a fistful of his hair until the assault finally relented.

He backed away and leaned forward to give her a deep, desperate kiss. She had never tasted herself before and it was a little erotic to have the taste flood her mouth. She could smell her own scent on his goatee as he continued to suck and nip on her bottom lip.

It wasn't long before he pulled back and looked at her for permission to proceed-which she practically begged for, "please Tony, please. I need you inside of me. Please now."

He rolled on a condom, he was concerned about the extent of his toxicity, before he situated himself between her legs and guided himself into her without much hesitation. When they were finally united Tony almost lost his breath, he was overwhelmed. She was so hot and so tight and so beautiful below him. A gentle blush had crept up her chest to her neck and her cheeks and her puckered nipples rubbed against his chest with every deep stroke against her. He had never taken his time like this. It was a combination of disbelief that he was actually with _her_, and wanting to savor every second in case it never happened again. He maintained eye contact, they both wanted the connection, except when a particular thrust made their eyes flutter closed briefly.

Pepper grabbed hold of his butt and directed him just how fast and hard she wanted him, letting him know when she wanted him to hold still and simply grind against her in the right spot to make her groan. Despite this being their first time Tony could read her really well, he could tell she was getting close. It was fairly clear, as she was completely breathless and having trouble maintaining eye contact.

His left hand was laced with hers on the cushion above her head, but he was angled just right to support himself on that hand and his legs so he could move his free hand down and caress her hard clit and provide her some relief. It was almost immediately that he felt her clench around him and throw her head back, she arched her chest to the ceiling and curled her toes-pulling his orgasm from him as well.

Afterward they lay together, sweaty and panting. He was still embedded inside her but it was turnabout from earlier in the evening when this had all started. This was her chance to cradle and comfort him instead. His head was on her chest, her long legs enveloped his waist while her hands rubbed his back and the back of his head soothingly.

He was finally able to let go and he began to softly cry in her arms as she continued to cradle him and stroke his back. She whispered words of encouragement and let him know it was okay, fighting back tears of her own.


End file.
